Business leaders who are
hesitant to discuss elections and political issues in the workplace are missing
a valuable opportunity, BIPAC President Greg Casey told NFIB members who
attended a grassroots presentation held this week. BIPAC is a nonpartisan, membership-supported,
mission-driven, organization dedicated to increasing the political
effectiveness of America’s business community.
That’s because executives are
among their employees’ most trusted sources for public policy information, said
Casey, whose organization helps companies and business associations play a more
active role in the public policy process.
“Those things you’ve been told
about why employees don’t want to hear from you are simply not true,” Casey
said.
In fact, businesses need to be
sharing information with their employees about the issues important to their
companies in order to keep pace with political parties, trade organizations,
labor groups and others active in the political process, he said.
Employees are looking for
information on how different policy issues could affect them and their
employees and where candidates stand on those issues, Casey said.
In the changing communication
landscape, people are relying less on traditional news outlets for political
information and more on those people with whom they have relationships.
“The most credible source will
replace the most monied source,” Casey said. In that environment, the employer
is more reliable than either party or organized labor, he said.
BIPAC research found that 55
percent of 2012 voters said they want their employer’s input on policy and
politics, and 59 percent said they would “tend to believe information provided
by their employer.”
What’s more, private sector
employees are active voters – 86 percent of those who were registered in 2012
participated in the Presidential Election.
Employers can provide education
to their employees without endorsing candidates. They can share public policy
information without being political, and NFIB can help. Visit www.nfib.com for more information.
